


Keeping Pace

by MiniCupcakeMaker



Category: Free!
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, BigBrother!Rin, Butterbuddies, Confusing!Nitori, Demisexuality, Everyone seems to want a piece of Nitori, F/M, Independent!Gou, Jealous!Rin, Lots of Samezuka Swim Team Love, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Verse, Original Male Characters - Freeform, Phasing, Pining, Possessive Behavior, Puberty, Rough Sex, Sassy!Rei, Scent Kink, Slow Build, Spooning, Text messages that shamelessly serve to fill plotholes and provide comic relief, possessive!Haru
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-27
Updated: 2015-02-05
Packaged: 2018-02-06 10:49:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1855321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniCupcakeMaker/pseuds/MiniCupcakeMaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Puberty happens to everyone, even werewolves. Rin is an alpha and disenchanted by the entire idea of wolf companionship. He doesn't want to be an alpha like Haru, overprotective and ornery. Nor is he interested in finding an omega like soft-hearted, weak-willed Makoto. Rin's done with it all—ready to focus entirely on school, swim, and keeping his captain away from Gou. His cute roommate proves to be exceedingly helpful. Rin's lucky to have a friend like Ai. Friends, just friends. Right?<br/>*Werwolf AU where Rin and the Iwatobi gang stay on relatively good terms before and after Australia.<br/>*Main Pairing: Rintori<br/>*Sidelined: Makoharu, Reigisa, and Seigou</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Easing Into Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin's transition from non-wolf to alpha goes smoothly. Rin steadily grows into the instincts to lead, impress, and protect. All his old friends have phased, joined packs, and found mates. Rin doesn't know what he wants, yet. However, he sure knows what he doesn't want—Seijuro courting his sister and Ai ignoring his authority.

 

 

Rin presents during the fall of his second year in Australia.  
  
He experiences one of the best runs of his life.  
  


* * *

  
  
He's running long distance with the swim team. Rin is on his third mile, keeping pace with the upperclassman he usually stretches with, when he gets the sudden urge to run faster.

Rin passes him.

The dry dirt trail under his sneakers puff small clouds as he begins to accelerate.

_Screw pacing._

He well understands that this week's regiment was designed for endurance. He understands he should be focusing on building stamina, on controlling his breathing, on the overall health of his cardiovascular system.

Instead he focuses on the backs of the teammates in front of him and how unsettling it is to be behind them—to be behind  _anybody_.

He passes them. One by one, he sprints pass them—earning several concerned and pointed glances. He doesn't mind; he's too overwhelmed by the need to run faster than the others, be better than the others, to beat them, to leave them all behind, to…

_Oh shit._

Realizations dawns on Rin.

_This is what they were talking about in all those health classes._

Phrases like  _'Unnecessarily competitive behavior' and 'overly aggressive thoughts'_ run through the fifteen year old's head.

_Do I need to see the nurse? Don't I need to take heat control now? No, that's for omegas! Fuck, don't I need to take birth control? Shit, no. That's only for female alphas, right? I can't believe I didn't pay attention to that one goddamned lecture._

It's when he spots the back of his upperclassman friend that he realized how fast he must have been going to have lapped him on this particular trail. He knew his prior physical limitations well enough as any athlete should, and he knew he sure as hell couldn't have run all this way and all that fast, on his own terms.

_'Boost in physical aptitude'_ he recalls reading, _Awesome._

Rin slows down to a trot as he approaches his coach's quad bike. As Rin straightens up to speak, he gets a faint feeling of being taller; as if he grew a couple new vertebrae during that final lap.

In his best English, he asks politely to be excused for the day.

His coach opens his mouth to accost the exchange student then suddenly recoils. His face softens a bit as he sniffs the air around Rin.

"Mahtoo-sookah!" he booms as his flat hand smacks Rin's shoulder, "I'm sure your mom's going to be proud as hell!"

"It's Matsuoka, sir. But, yeah, thanks."

He normally wouldn't have corrected his coach's poor pronunciation, but for some reason his newly presented standings makes him feel a tad bit entitled.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, kid." The coach takes his clipboard out and scribbles a few lines before handing the paper to Rin.

"Take this to the nurse, she'll give you a physical exam and probably excuse you from tomorrow's classes due to the chance of testosterone surges. I still expect you at practice, Mat-sow-kah. Just because you're an alpha now—doesn't mean you get to slack off."

Rin nods, takes the note, and turns to run towards the direction of school.

* * *

Nothing really changed. He runs a little faster, jumps a little higher, and gets a little bit more pissed off every now and then. He eats a bit more and gets hungrier quicker. He punched a hole into his wardrobe one year. A couple times, he shredded holes into his pillows while having a nightmare.  
 _  
The usual pubescent alpha stuff…_

What Rin is spared from, however, are the forewarned urges to sniff omegas.

There were a few of them in school and they were occasionally harassed by other alphas—pressing them into lockers by alphas who shoved their noses into the lesser's hair and neck crooks. Most of the time, the animalistic hierarchy was reduced to lighthearted teasing and immature name calling.

This didn't happen too often, though. Only the older boys would play around like this, and only those who were wolf. Rin was actually one of the younger students to have phased in his Australian grammar school, which had a substantial population of non-wolves, and betas.

He assumed there would be a lot more friction when he returned to Japan for the last two years of high school. Samezuka was an elite, all-male high school with a competitive focus on athletics. The academy was also known for having the largest student-wolf population in the country.

Rin was ready to come home. He has learned all he could in Australia—despite phasing mid-semester and undergoing a mild state of depression. His instincts have been driving him to move closer to home. Gou had recently phased as an omega and it did not sit well with Rin to leave the responsibility of supervising Gou's inevitable courtships to their busy single mother.

By supervising, Rin really mean intimidating any suitors—alpha or otherwise—that thought themselves worthy to date his little sister.

* * *

To be honest, Rin was glad she fell into Haru's pack. All male, yes, but they were still a good pack.

' _A good pack'_  mused Rin. _A gay pack is more like it._

Haruka presented as an alpha soon after Rin left.

_All that tension makes sense, huh._ Rin thought.  _I was gonna be an alpha, Haru was gonna be an alpha. Haru wanted Makoto way before he ever knew the kid would end up an omega. Maybe he thought I was a threat? Maybe he thought I wanted Makoto? As if. My omega will sure as hell not be able to bench more than me... Damn shame Mako had to be an omega._

His personality be damned. By high school, he had the height and fill of a fully matured pack leader. Yet the poor kid was cursed with a weak stomach, gentility, and a stupid kind of compassion that practically screamed, 'take advantage of my kindness'.

_Thank god for Haru._  Rin thought.  _An emotional weakling like Mako would be the easiest rape victim during heat without an alpha's protection._

According to Gou's letters Nagisa presented, too: a beta. Just like the track-star basket-case boyfriend he heard so much about.

_Things were so much easier for betas._   _Betas didn't have to plan around heats or testosterone surges. Beta males didn't have to deal with the pain of a whole new orifice ripping through their pelvises during puberty like omega males. Betas didn't turned into horny ass-hats at the smell of an omega like their alphas counterparts did. They got all the perks of wolf-culture without the stress of it all..._

* * *

Rin had enough time to think about his sister and old friends' pack over the plane ride to Japan. His mother and sister drove him from the airport to the Samezuka orientation. They had both wanted to help Rin move in, but he forced them off campus as soon as he found some redheaded alpha flirting with Gou by the information's desk.

The dormitories were divided by athletic departments. To Rin's displeasure, the over-ambitious alpha he found sniffing around Gou turned out to be both his Resident Assistant  _and_ the swim team captain.

His roommate situation was a little less displeasing. The first-year was one of the youngest on the swim team. He could run for hours and swim for days with all the endurance in the world but he was a lot slower than Rin. He made up for it with iron-clad dedication. The kid had a pretty face and a nice body.

_Legs like a chick, cute ass too._  Rin would find himself thinking,  _I'll find an omega that looks like that. She'll be cleaner, too. If only submissions worked on Ai, I'd make him clean that fucking desk every fucking day...and I'd make him do it in shorts._

Yes, for some reason submissions and general alpha intimidations didn't work on Nitori. The kid claimed to be a Beta, but Rin suspected he was non-wolf. He didn't smell like a beta nor did he behave like a wolf whenever Rin or any other alphas tried to pull verbal submissions. Rin had a presence that would make any beta or omega stand down and back away when angered. Yet, whenever he'd yell at Aiichirou—the poor kid would just come closer and cling tighter.

Rin missed those days, before he phased. The days where the commands of other alphas were easily brushed off—instead of eliciting in him a primal urge to challenge their authority. He remembers being able to joke around with Makoto, throw an arm around his shoulder and laugh with him. Now a days, Haru bears teeth at any alpha that gets within ten feet of the poor guy.

* * *

Extra Scene

SENDER: RockhopperHazuki  
TEXT: haru-chan got suspended today!  щ(ll ﾟ д ﾟ llщ)

SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT:  Indecent exposure; saw it coming.  
Stop texting me, I'm getting up in 4 hours.

SENDER: RockhopperHazuki  
TEXT: wrong rinrin （へ＿へ）  
he threw a table at a poor girl!  ｡ﾟ ( ﾟ ´Д ｀ﾟ ) ﾟ｡

SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Wtf? Why? Did he finally succumb to the voices in his head?  
I told you all that time living alone made him batshit. Nvm, more likely his diet.  
Makoto really needs to take his nutrition more seriously, spoiling Haru with all that fucking fish.  
Tbh, I don't give a shit. Stop texting me. Gn.

SENDER: RockhopperHazuki  
TEXT: omgnoteven!  (-_-|||)  
ur so rude, rinrin!

SENDER: RockhopperHazuki  
TEXT: so, sumika-chan cornered mako-chan and kissed him!  
she's an alpha now [talk about a late bloomer, ne]

SENDER: RockhopperHazuki  
TEXT: sumika-chan thought mako-chan would be the perfect boyfriend  
but then haru-chan threw a table at her and told her to stay away from mako-chan!  
\\(> σ < )

SENDER: RockhopperHazuki  
TEXT: so dramatic!  
u should of seen everyone! two alphas yelling at each other like that  
rei-chan and i had our heads so low that i couldn't even see the teachers separate them!  
`(๑ △ ๑)`*

SENDER: RockhopperHazuki  
TEXT: i cant even imagine how mako-chan felt, being an omega  
i really hate submissions (＞△＜Uu  
promise me when you find an omega, u treat her really nice and never yell around her!

SENDER: RockhopperHazuki  
TEXT: or him! no judgement!  
i kno u go to a guy's school so theres probably more boycandy available for u than girlcandy!  
( ó㉨ò)ﾉ

SENDER: RockhopperHazuki  
TEXT: come home this weekend! carpool with ur swim captain! (/∇＼*)｡o○   
he's driving to iwatobi b/c he's taking Gou-chan on a secret date on Saturday!

SENDER: RockhopperHazuki  
TEXT:u haven't responded!i guess ur asleep. work hard tomorrow!  
regards to ai-chan! goodnight!  
ily! imy!ヾ(´ε `; )


	2. Remember to Breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin will not accept that his omega baby sister is interested in Captain Mikoshiba 'Fuckface' Seijurou. Thank god Nitori knows how to calm his best friend down before he does anything rash. Rin and his kouhai appreciate a comfortable closeness, but something seems off about Ai today.

“He only means well, Senpai.” Aiichirou stated in an unusually calm manner. Unusual, in that he had literally placed himself in the direct path of an angry alpha.  
  
“He means ‘well’? He means to mess around with my baby sister. Yeah—that doesn’t sit ‘well’ with me, Nitori. Now **move**.”  
  
Rin loomed over his smaller roommate, who—after realizing that Rin intended to elicit a physical confrontation with their swim captain—pressed his palms either side of the dorm room’s doorway and locked his elbows.  
  
Ai looked up at his red-faced roommate. His spread arms preventing Rin from leaving the room.

“I understand you’re just concerned about Kou-chan and I agree that you and the captain should discuss his intentions. But it’s best that you wait until you’re less emotional…” cooed Ai, whose serene smile and calm expression was off put by the obvious stress of his body.  
  
The muscles of his arms were flexed as strong as the young boy could, taught knowing that his senior could strike out at any minute and try to pass him.

“I am not fucking emotional, Nitori! Now get out of my way or I will break your god damned arms!” Rin raised his voice as he stood up and over his roommate.  
  
He felt his body temperature shoot up as every bone in his alpha body urged—no, commanded—Aiichirou to back down.  
  
No response. Ai just stood there, arms still spanned out between Rin and the door to the hallway.  
  
 _God damn, why can’t he just act like a fucking beta for once and listen to me._ Rin thought, reaffirming that wolf intimidation flat out doesn’t work on his roommate.  
  
 “Stay the hell out of this,” lashed Rin, growing even more upset at Ai’s lack of supplication. “This doesn’t concern you!” He was about to put his hand on the younger boy when Ai spoke up.  
  
“You know the school’s policy on fighting: zero tolerance! If someone reports you, you’ll be asked to leave the team. And they’re harsher on alphas like you, Senpai. They could even expel you if the wanted!” Babbled Ai, determined to break through Rin’s hot head and appeal to his sense of practicality.

“Oh shut the fu—” Rin was interrupted by Aiichirou as he continued to press his point further, this time towards a more emotional appeal.  
  
“That would really disappoint your mom—not to mention crush your chances at getting picked up by Olympic scouts next year! Your father’s dream! Your dream! What about that? I know you care about those things, Senpai! And I care about you. So it does concern me!” Ai managed to scream out using only one breath.  
  
A lifetime of swim must have had some affect on lung capacity, right?  
  
 _Damn him,_ Rin thought as he backed off. He turned around and sat himself gracelessly onto his bunk.

He hated when Ai was right—a problem he eventually got used to. The kid was always the more levelheaded one of the two.  
  
And he really hated being yelled at by a beta he couldn’t intimidate—a problem he had to get used to. If he wanted to keep Ai around, he had no choice but to accept it.  
  
He wasn’t going to just dump the only real friend he had because Ai happened to be some kind anomaly in the wolf’s hierarchical system.

Sensing that he was cooling down, Aiichirou left his post at the doorframe and sat himself down beside Rin.  
  
“And honestly, Kou-chan is a smart girl. She manages an entire team of swimmers, even as an omega. She wouldn’t have agreed to date Mikoshiba unless she was sure he was worth her time. She’s just as much of a fighter as you, Senpai. Give her a call tonight; it would be best if you talk it out with her before you start on the captain…”  
  
Ai leaned his head against Rin’s shoulder, lightly rubbing his temple back and forth against his bicep.  
  
With Ai’s soothing movements, Rin felt all the storming anger and testosterone drain from his body.  
  
Rin had to really concentrate on not accidentally scent marking his roommate; it would be really inappropriate for an un-paired beta to be walking around with an alpha’s scent.  
  
 _Weird_ , Rin thought. It is true, betas don’t usually behave this way nor do they elicit this kind of behavior from other alphas.  
  
Rin didn’t really mind how touchy Ai was. And unlike with Nagisa, Rin really didn’t find it annoying. Touching Aiichirou didn’t feel awkward or forced. It felt kind of intimate—like Ai sincerely wanted to share a feeling with Rin, a feeling he couldn’t express through speech.  
  
He kind of like it.  
  
 Rin let his cheek rest on the top of Ai’s head, drawing in a long breath of Ai’s shampoo. This long breath turned into several short and purposeful sniffs.  
  
 _Smells different today._  
  
“D’you use a different soap or something?” Rin asked, getting up and reaching for his gym bag.  
  
Before reading Nagisa’s late-night text messages and haphazardly deciding he needed to walk into Mikoshiba’s dorm room and kick that goofy grin off his face—he had been packing to go to the pool before 8am classes.  
  
“No, Senpai. Why?” answered Nitori, who decided that Rin had cooled off enough to be trusted with freedom of movement.  
  
He also stood up to move to his cluttered desk, sat down and returned to the textbook he had been reading before Rin’s outburst.  
  
“You _smell_ different, today.” Rin said, slinging his bag over his shoulder and walking to the door. He still had an hour left to work out before class and it would do him good to swim off any left-over testosterone from his recent flare-up.  
  
“Hmm,” Ai sighed, turned his face towards Rin. He smiled softly up at his roommate.  
  
“I _feel_ different, today.” He said softly, nodding a goodbye to Rin—who already turned towards the door.  
  
“Yeah, I’ll uh… I’ll have to be in the library during lunch so I guess I’ll just see you at practice.” Rin mumbled, stopping only when the door was opened and he had his back completely facing Aiichirou.  
  
“And…uh…thanks, Ai. Thanks for calming me down. For, uh...everything.” Rin said, quickly and awkwardly, before he shut the door with a sharp ‘click’.  


* * *

Extra Scene:  
  
SENDER: Kou_M_Kitty  
TEXT: He's been flirting with me for months now! And he's asked me out like sixteen times, already!  
I like his attitude, I like his dedication. He's got great lats, and incredible traps.  
It took a long time to make this decision, Niisan. I would appreciate it if you respect it.  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: At least you could have fucking told me, Gou!  
If Nagisa hadn't said anything, I would have had to wait ten fucking years until I got fucking wedding invitations in the fucking mail!  
I'm your older brother, Gou. You need to tell me when you're thinking about dating some alpha!  
  
SENDER: Kou_M_Kitty  
TEXT: Well you never call me or try to come home on the weekends, I thought it wouldn't matter.  
Excuse me for not updating you on my life when you show no interest in it anyway!  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Thought it wouldn't matter? Wth, Gou, he's the captain of my swim team!  
  
SENDER: Kou_M_Kitty  
TEXT: Which was actually another reason why I asked him out!  
Managing a swim team and all, we have a lot in common<33  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Did you tell Mom?! Does Mom know?!  
  
SENDER: Kou_M_Kitty  
TEXT: Of course she does! She's the one who asked him to stay the night.  
She didn't want him going back and forth to school with a long drive both ways!.  
We're going to the mall tonight to buy new sheets for your bed. He's staying in your room, btw.  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Are. You. Fucking. Kidding. Me. 

SENDER: Kou_M_Kitty  
TEXT: Lunch break is over, Niisan. I have to go to class now.  
Tell Nitori-kun I said hello!  



	3. Pulling a Muscle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin's finally coming to terms with his sister's pending relationship with Mikoshiba. However, Nitori hasn't been smelling like himself lately. That doesn't matter, right now. Rin has been personally training his roommate for a month now and time trials will prove how far they've come. That is, if everything goes as usual.

By the time Rin gets to swim practice that day, Nitori is already poolside—dressed and stretching. He doesn’t notice Rin slip into the lockers.  
  
While changing, Rin sees Mikoshiba getting dressed and although Ai made him promise to avoid all gestures that may lead to physical violence—there was no way he wasn’t confronting his senior.  
  
Mikoshiba’s laughter fills the room like the baritone he is. He nods at Rin, walking towards him. As Rin draws closer, all the wolf-born in the small room quiet down.  
  
They can smell the aggression on him.  
  
“Hey captain, any weekend plans?” Rin question stabs at the thick air.  
  
“Well,” Mikoshiba rubs the back of his neck “I’m actually heading over to your hometown… Your sister… she… Hah… C’mon, Matsuoka, Gou told me she cleared this with you…” Mikoshiba looked down at Rin with a very soft smile.  
  
No aggression. No intimidation. No defensiveness.  
  
“Yeah, she did. Another question, Captain, do you always spend the night on the first date?” Rin stabbed again  
  
 _He’s fucking blushing. I come at him like a real alpha and that fucking didlo is blushing. I can’t fucking do this. FUCKING FIGHT ME, GODDAMNIT._  
  
“Well, no! It’s not like that! I was just supposed to have dinner with your mom and Gou on Saturday! Then Gou asked me to take her to the seasonal squid market on Sunday, so your mom suggested I—” Mikoshiba’s verbal diary was cut short by Rin’s disinterest. He held a hand up at Mikoshiba, urging him to stop.  
  
Mikoshiba is acting softer than a jelly doughnut; that’s probably a good thing. If Gou has this 87kg alpha sprung this bad, he’s probably incapable of harming Gou in any way.  
  
 _Dragging him to that smelly sea market, Gou? Maybe it’s you taking advantage of him…_  
  
“If you scent my bed, I will fucking murder you.” Rin said before turning away towards the pool. The rest of the locker room resuming its idle chatter.  
  
“THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME YOUR BLESSING, MATSUOKA! IT MEANS A LOT TO US!” Boomed the captain, so loud Rin heard it from the pool.

* * *

  
  
Rin walks up to Nitori, already warmed up and by the pool.  
  
“I’m guessing you both are on good terms, Senpai?” He smiled enthusiastically  
  
“Shut up, Ai.” Rin said as he squatted to pick up Ai’s stopwatch.  
  
This practice, Mikoshiba wanted to start out with timed-trials for the 500m freestyle. With six of their swimmers lined up on the starting block, Rin took a few moments to admire Ai’s body.  
  
 _I fucking love those shorts._ Rin mused eloquently.  
   
Mikoshiba’s whistle shot Rin’s attention to his kouhai’s lane. They had been working all month for this and Ai had shown so much improvement.  
  
By the second lap, several people had passed Nitori.  
  
Not wanting to fully voice his enthusiasm, Rin cheered on his junior in his head.  
  
 _Don’t worry, Ai. Don’t get discouraged. Just keep concentrating. Just keep your pace. They’re going to burn out soon._  
  
By the fifth lap, everyone was beginning to slow down and fall away. Everyone—but Nitori. Rin smirked.  
  
 _That’ll do it, Ai. Keep pace._  
  
 Seventh lap, Ai’s is neck-and-neck with their fastest third year. Rin couldn’t be more proud.  
  
Right as Ai looks like he’s going to pass him, he starts to slow down.  
  
 _No, he’s not tired. I know he’s not tired. Why is he doing this? We’ve been practicing._  
  
Nitori then stops altogether. Then he goes under, head bobbing up like he can’t remember how to swim—or maybe he has a cramp.  
  
Everyone, including Rin, panics for a second until…  
  
they inhale.  
  
The scent wafts the room and every wolfborn goes silent. It’s thick. It’s delicious. It’s the scent of an omega.  
  
Not just any omega, an omega in heat.  
  
The second he breathed in that scent, Nitori’s scent, everything clicked for Rin. All that time before, Ai didn’t smell like a beta or act like a wolf—because he hadn’t presented yet.  
  
“HEH…(gurgle)…HELP!” the voice came from the same direction as the glorious scent.  
  
Aiichirou was clinging to the floating lane dividers. At an instant, Rin jerked towards his needing kouhai. But the strong firm arm of the captain stretched out in front of him, preventing him from moving forward.  
  
“Matsuoka. Stay.” There was nothing but utter seriousness in Mikoshiba’s voice. Another alpha from the lane next to Nitori began to hazily advance towards the almost-drowning firstyear.  
  
 “Obata, stop. Don’t touch him.” Another order came from the captain. The approaching alpha stilled.  
  
“Hara. Ando.” Mikoshiba called the only non-wolf members of the swimteam, “Help Nitori and take him straight to the nurse’s office. Don’t stop for anything. Don’t let anyone else touch him.”  
  
Hara was already in an adjoining lane. The thirdyear peeled the whimpering Ai off the divider and into his arms. He carried him out of the pool like a child. Ando, who was on the bench, made haste to pick up the nearest dry towel to cover Nitori.  
  
He covered Ai’s shivering body with the towel as they passed Rin and the captain, on their way towards the door.  
  
“Hurts, Rin Senpai…” Aiichirou’s voice was laced with pain, and need, and something else entirely.  
  
Rin felt every muscle in his body flex.  
  
Hearing Ai call him, Rin—again—jumped up to rush towards his kouhai but was again stopped by Mikoshiba.  
  
“Don’t, Matsuoka. Control yourself. ALL OF YOU, control yourself.” Ordered the captain.  
  
 _All of us…?_  
  
Rin looked around the pool. Every alpha in the room stood in an aggressive stance, with dilated eyes pinned at the whimpering form in Hara’s arms. Everyone smelled it, too.  
  
Heat. Ai’s heat.  
  
With something that primal, instinct kicks in. Sexual orientation, prior relationships, societal norms—they all fly out the window when an unmated alpha senses an omega in heat.  
  
Rin has been around many omegas, but none that smelled half as mouth-watering as Ai did.  
  
And Rin assumed that the four other alphas in the room agreed. For the exception of Mikoshiba, all the other alphas on the team—those who had seen Ai as a dorky kid, or even a little brother—looked like they were ready to eat the poor kid.  
  
 _Did I look like that, too?_  Rin asked himself.  
  
“Everyone shake this off. Nitori will be fine. Everyone just focus, practice will continue as usual.” Mikoshiba urged, slapping a secondyear on the back.  
  
Rin could see the others cooling down, a little embarrassed of themselves for getting so worked up over a teammate.  
  
“Yo, Sei. You didn’t smell that heat on 'Tori? You’re an alpha, how’d you keep your cool?” asked a wiry beta.  
  
Seijurou was bout to say something as the beta interrupted him, “Oh, you already have a mate, huh? That’s the only explanation. Why didn’t you tell us you had an omega, already! Who have you mated with?! Matsuoka’s sister?”  
  
 _Rin glowed red with anger._

* * *

  
  
Extra Scene:  

 

SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT:  Yeah. I punched Mikoshiba in the eye.  
It just sort of happened, I was really worked up.  
  
SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: rin?!  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Don't start with me, Makoto.  
Gou already told my mom.  
They both read me the riot act.  
  
SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: i hope they made you apologize...  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Yeah, formally, like in front of the entire team.  
On top of that, my mom made me buy him dinner.  
  
SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: so, mikoshibakun isn't upset with you?  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Fuck no! He's probably grateful I hit him!  
He was loving all that attention from Gou.  
She even made Nagisa drive her over here so she could personally ice his eye.  
Fucking fuck, man.  
  
SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: that's great! how's nitorikun?  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: No idea. He's still at the nurse's...  
I'm actually really worried.  
  
SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: don't worry, rin!  
they've probably handled this type thing hundreds of times.  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Thanks, I guess. Um, btw, Mako.  
Can I ask you about your experience phasing?  
And heat and all that stuff...  
You don't have to answer if it's too personal.  
  
SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: oh, it's fine! i'm not embarrassed.  
i know you'd like the research for your roommate's sake!  
well, i was sleeping when it happened.  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: In your bed?  
Or, like, at school and in class?  
  
SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: no, it was night time. i was at haru's  
that entire week, haru made me sleep over  
i think he knew it was coming, he said I smelled different than usual  
so he told my mom i was spending the week with him

SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: That manipulative asshole...  
  
SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: no, rin! it wasn't like that at all.  
haru just wanted to make sure he would be there  
y'know to help me when it happened  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: So he _didn't_ jump your bones that night?

SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: omg rin! stop!  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: I'm sorry, lol. Okay, but for real...  
did it hurt a lot? The phasing?  
  
SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: honestly, yes. i woke up in total pain.  
it felt like i was being torn up inside—well, i guess i was.  
but it didn't feel too bad with haru holding my hand...  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Don't make it gay, Mako.

SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: sorry! well, yeah, it hurt alot.  
for a couple of hours. then i felt nothing for a while  
like i was numb. then i felt...well y'know...  
i started to feel...  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Horny for some dolphin dick?

SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: rin!!!  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: LMFAO! I guess that doesn't sound too bad.  
Well, they'll probably give Ai some heat suppressants before he's released.  
Wouldn't want the twep going around humping people's legs. 

SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: honestly, it'll be the alphas who usually make the advances...  
that reminds me, rin. i don't mean to be nosy or pushy...but,  
have you considered how your relationship with Nitorikun will change?  
or your living arrangements? since you're an unmated alpha  
and you'll be living with an unmated omega...  
i know they thought he was a beta when they assigned rooms...  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Wtf, Mako. Of course nothing will change.  
Just cus he has a man-pussy and wolfy tendencies doesn't change a thing,  
in fact—now that he'll listen to me as an alpha,  
I can finally get him to clean up all his shit in the room.  
  
SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: rin, i think you really need to think about this.

SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Stop with the worrying, Mama Makoto.  
I won't let Ai rape me, I promise.  
Subject change, please. 

SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: you said nagisa drove kou to samezuka?

SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Yeah, he took his dad's car. 

SENDER: tachi_mako_iwatobi  
TEXT: umm, rin. nagisa doesn't have a license.


	4. Try Walking it Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin doesn't think Ai's phasing would make change their relationship in any way. He doesn't know why Makoto, or anyone else, would make such a big deal about it. Maybe he should ask Nitori what he thinks about it. No, he's probably way too confused right now. Maybe he should ask Haru what to do. No, he'll juts ignore him...

Aiichirou presents during his first year of high school.  
  
He almost drowns.

* * *

  
  
Rin waits under the buzzing fluorescence of the nurse’s wing hallway lights.  
  
“Get plenty of rest. I’ll notify your professors in the morning and excuse you from classes. But, you should still—“ the older woman’s voice was interrupted by Nitori.  
  
“I’ll email them once I get to my room and explain my absence! Thank you for your hard work, Miss! Thank you for taking care of me. Thank you so much, thank you!” he said as he walked backwards of the first aid room, bowing a few times to the person inside.  
  
He backed straight into his waiting roommate.  
  
“Ooff! I’m so sorry…” Ai stopped apologizing as he turned around to face Rin, “Oh, senpai! I hope you haven’t been waiting long? I’m sorry if I had worried you…it turns out—”  
  
He was interrupted by Rin.  
  
“Nah, just got here. I was a bit freaked out; at first I thought you were dying. But then I put all the pieces together.” Rin leaned his back against the wall of the hallway. “What made you thing you were a beta?”  
  
“My parents…well, they don’t really talk about wolf-stuff. And before coming here, I only attended non-wolf schools.” Ai looked down and scuffed his feet.  
  
“So I was never really educated on _that_ side of wolf culture: mating, or puberty, what to expect when you first phase, or even how to tell you've phased at all.” Ai’s voice got a bit softer, embarrassed by his previous ignorance.  
  
“So when I got accepted to Samezuka and had to declare a wolf class on the housing forms, I assumed I was a beta—like my parents. ”  
  
Ai, who had been previously staring at his fidgeting hands, looked up to his roommate’s eyes.  
  
“I’m sorry for all the trouble, Senpai.” Aiichirou bowed deeply. Rin rolled his eyes.  
  
“God, Ai. It’s not a big deal.” Rin rolled his eyes, “Get up will you.”  
  
That second the command left his lips, Ai shot straight up—brows knitted together in shock.  
  
“What was that—it was like—my body just stood up. I didn’t even—wha—what did you do?” Ai stammered, confusion in his eyes and body language.  
  
 _Oh, shit. Submission do work on Ai afterall…_  
  
“Since you’re an omega. Alphas can sometimes make you do things by just saying so—or sometimes even by looking at you. It works on betas, too. But it’s more effective on wolves like you.”  
  
Rin rested his open palm on the back of Ai’s neck. This was something he’s done before. However Ai was now a young and impressionable omega, freshly presented.  
  
To wolves, this gesture was coated thick with meaning: friendship, brotherhood, solace, but most importantly—dominance.  
  
“I’ll try to remember that. I promise not to boss you around too much.” Rin said as the younger boy closed his eyes and pressed himself closer to the warm open hand.  
  
Rin breathed in Ai’s scent. Ai’s deliriously sweet and musky scent was just as he remembered from the pool—however, not as thick.  
  
His scent was significantly thinner, diluted even. It also carried a new artificial hue.  
  
“You smell like chemicals.” Rin said as he turned to lead Ai to their room.  
  
“It’s probably the pills the nurse gave me. It’ll stop my…umm” Rin didn’t have to turn around to know that Nitori was blushing.  
  
“It’ll stop my _heat_ from coming.” Ai whispered the word ‘heat’ like it was a secret.  
  
“For fuck’s sake, Ai, what are you—ten years old? It’s just heat! It isn’t weird or indecent. It’s a fucking normal bodily function, like…like taking a shit. You can say it out loud and noones going to laugh at you.” Rin went on casually.  
  
“You’re acting like you’re calling Voldemo—” Rin’s joke was interrupted by a completely serious statement from Ai.  
  
“Don’t say the Dark Lord’s name out loud!” he chided.  
  
“Whatever. Just, whenever your heat _does_ come—hang a sock on the door so I don’t walk in on you masturbating.” Rin laughed at Ai’s mortified face.

* * *

 

The rest of the walk to their room went on normally.  
  
Ai had a million questions regarding the evening he missed—prompting an unwilling Rin to detail the eventful evening: punching Mikoshiba, getting chewed out by his mom, having to apologize, Gou visiting, being forced to buy both the captain and his sister dinner, Nagisa driving without a license.  
  
By the time they got into the room and changed for bed—the conversation went back to the more usual topics.  
  
“You know I’m going to end up forcing you to clean your desk if you don’t do it willingly. I _can_ do that now.” Rin said dryly as he got into bed.  
  
Ai giggled as he made his way to the ladder.  
  
“I don’t see what’s wrong with the way I organize my…OWW!” Ai had tried to put his foot onto the second step of the ladder. He was now laying on his side, on the floor, holding his crotch.  
  
Rin jumped up to help him.  
  
“Are you okay, Ai? What happened?” He said, smelling a small amount of blood but seeing none.  
  
“It’s…my…umm, it kind of just tore a bit.” Aiichirou said shyly.  
  
 _Tore? What tore…?_  
  
Rin looked down to Ai’s crotch, where his hands were previously clutching. He saw a small blood stain.  
  
 _Oh, yeah. Ai kind of has a vagina now._  
  
“Yeah, dudes presenting as omegas have it off the worst. Are you okay? Just sleep on the bottom bunk tonight.” Rin said, getting up and carrying Ai with him.  
  
“Sleep in my bed so you don’t have to climb the ladder. You can stay there tomorrow night, too. However long it takes until you’re not sore anymore.” Rin said, ascending to the top bunk as Nitori changed into new bottoms.  
  
“Really?! Thank you, senpai!” Ai chirped gratefully, turning the lights off before he crawled into Rin’s empty bed.  
  
A small moment of silence passed before Rin had the courage to speak.  
  
“Umm, Ai. Can we talk about something…about you phasing.” Rin was unusually hesitant.  
  
“Sure, senpai…” Ai’s voice was heavy from the eventful day’s exhaustion, it was obvious he was half asleep.  
  
“Uh…just—never mind. I mean, just…uh, try not to bleed on my bed?” Rin improvised. He decided Aiichirou had a busy day, he wasn’t going to bother him with ‘useless’ question regarding their relationship.  
  
 _Who am I, Makoto? I shouldn’t be worrying about this shit. Nothing’s changed._  
  
Rin tried to convince himself that he didn’t have to think about how Ai’s new status would affect him. He tried to convince himself that he didn’t want things to change.  
  
 “Yeah. I know you kind of have an open wound on your pelvis, but yeah. I just want to umm, watch out—for my sheets. I mean, I could wash them. So nevermind, then. I guess you don’t have to _not_ bleed on my bed...” Rin rambled on, trying to cover his abortive intentions.  
  
This was unnecessary, though, as Ai’s soft snoring and unresponsiveness made it clear to Rin than he was already asleep.

* * *

  
  
Extra Scene  
  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Yo, Haru. You awake?  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: I know it’s late, but I need to ask you something.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: It’s about Ai. He just phased and he’s an omega.  
Idk if Mako told you anything…  
But, I don’t know how to react.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Does a male omega need any special attention?  
Do I need to protect him from other alphas?  
Do I stop him from mating during heats?  
What if he wants to mate _me_?  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: It’s not something I should be worrying about, right?  
We can still just be friends? Like before?  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Is it…Is it nice?  
Having an omega.  
Having a mate.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: I mean, I’m not just talking about sex.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Haru?  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: C’mon, Haru. Answer me.  
It’ll only take a few minutes.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Haru.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Haru.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Haru, don’t be a dick.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: I guess you’re sleeping.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Okay, just call me in the morning.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Or, maybe you don’t have your phone on?  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: …  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Fuck, I had all this frozen mackerel.  
The freezer at school broke and we needed to get rid of it by tonight…  
  
SENDER: Mobile33892_NanaseHaruka  
TEXT: When can I pick it up?  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: God damnit, Haru!  
You were just going to ignore me?!  
FUCKYOU!


	5. Back on Track

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin wants to believe that everything can go back to normal. So what if Ai is a single omega and he's a single alpha? Everything feels natural between them, like it always has. Rin is sure nothing has changed. He wonders why everyone is thinking they're going to couple up--not like he minds, to be honest.

“Good morning, Matsuoka! Did you fuck your roommate last night?”  
  
Rin had an interesting morning.

* * *

 

He had left Nitori sleeping in his bed earlier in that morning, while he went for an early swim. He had packed his uniform and books, not wanting to double back to the dorms when his first class was next door to the pool.

  
Usually, Ai would be awake as well—waking early to review school material, sometimes accompanying Rin to the gym or pool before morning lessons.  
  
Rin made it to his math class early enough to relax for a while, partake in listless chitchat—that is, until he was greeted with _that_ gem of a question.  
  
Rin turned towards the classmate who had spoke; he was also Nitori’s math tutor and a member of the swim team.  
  
“No. Why the would you ask me that?” Rin raised an eyebrow. He sat down and hung his book bag on the hook under his desk.  
  
“I talked to him at breakfast, this morning—said he wasn’t coming to class. He kinda smelled like you scented him,” the beta said as he started unpacking his schoolbooks “and everyone on the team knows he went into heat last night. I just assumed you mated.”

Rin was surprised at the absence of malice or mirth in the other boy’s voice. He was also surprised at his own reaction—he didn’t feel insulted or defensive at the question.  
  
The mood was surprisingly casual.  
  
“Yeah, no. We switched beds last night, he probably got my scent on him from that.” Rin replied, pulling out his phone to text Ai that he should probably shower twice before leaving the dorm again.  
  
“Oh, really? Some of my buddies were checking out Nitori when he came to talk, you know how alphas get when an omega smells like heat…” Rin put down his phone, growing more interested.  
  
“They were disappointed when they smelled so much of _you_ on him. They assumed he was taken.”  
  
The boy offhandedly changed subjects, “Do we have Saturday practice _this_ week or _next_ week, Matsuoka?”  
  
“No practice this weekend.” Rin said, still thoroughly digesting the previous conversation.  
  
He _forgot_ to text Ai about the showering-twice thing.

 

* * *

  
  
  
Rin heading back to the dorm after his last class. It was Friday, and swim practice wasn’t scheduled until Monday.  
  
He was actually looking forward to spend the weekend with Nitori. They’d get to relax for a bit—maybe go out for dinner tonight, or order-in and put a movie on.  
  
Tomorrow, they could go on a hike.  
  
Rin didn’t really like hiking; he’d prefer more effective forms of recreational exercise, like swimming or running—but Ai loved nature.  
  
He’s go on and on about the different species of flowers or birds they’d pass. It’s not like Rin cared for the information, he just liked hearing the kid talk.  
  
Rin opened the door to the room and saw Ai sitting at his desk.  
  
He turned to smile at Rin, who tossed his bag and jacket onto the floor by his bed.  
  
“I hope you actually did something productive today. Or did you just lay around reading your chick-fiction?” Rin said as he began changing from his school uniform.  
  
“By the way, I’m picking dinner.” He added as he sat down on his bed, propping his elbows onto his knees.  
  
“Sure, senpai! Can I pick the movie?” Ai said, standing up from his chair and walking over to Rin.  
  
He kneeled down on the floor by his bed, leaning his head onto Rin’s knee.

“Fine, no English. I don’t want you asking me a hundred questions when you don’t understand a reference.” Rin instinctively raised his hand to rest on Ai’s head.  
  
Nitori responded to the touch like a mated omega—eyelids half closed, softly growling, moving into the touch.  
  
Rin had a feeling that this was inappropriate behavior for two people who claimed to be just friends. He decided not to dwell on it; it was so natural.  
  
 _We’re just really close..._  
  
Rin inhaled deeply, Ai’s scent thicker than he last remembered. It lacked the off-putting artificial smell that came with medication.  
  
“Did you take your heat suppressants today?” Rin asked lazily, it was just a thought—he really didn’t need an answer.  
  
“No, I forgot!” Nitori jumped up and scrambled towards his desk “Thank you for reminding me, Senpai!”  
  
Rin watched the boy dig through his cluttered desk, feeling slightly irritated. The knee that supported Ai’s head moments ago now felt cold without his presence.  
  
Their quiet moment was gone and Rin felt cheated.  
  
He didn’t want it to end yet.

* * *

  
  
  
SENDER: ShunsukeBangBang  
TEXT: Thanks for the notes; I got your last email.  
They really saved me. You’re a really good note-taker :]

SENT COPY: A.Nitori.210  
TEXT: You’re welcome, Shunsuke Senpai.  
You’re lucky it was biology, I’m not very good at other subjects.  
I hope it will help you prepare for your entrance exams!  
  
SENDER: ShunsukeBangBang  
TEXT: They will, I’m sure of it.  
Call me by my first name.  
You don’t have to be so formal.  
  
SENT COPY: A.Nitori.210  
TEXT: No, I’d feel uncomfortable.  
  
SENDER: ShunsukeBangBang  
TEXT: Ok, how about making it sound less stiff?  
My teammates call me Shun.  
  
SENT COPY: A.Nitori.210  
TEXT: That sounds doable, Shun Senpai!  
Feel free to keep my notes for as long as you need to.  
I wish you the best of luck in finding the right college!  
Goodnight ^_^  
  
SENDER: ShunsukeBangBang  
TEXT: Where do you think you’re going?  
It’s only 11pm, you can’t be tired already?  
  
SENDER: ShunsukeBangBang  
TEXT: Y’know, the baseball team’s dorm building  
is not too far from the swim team’s dorms.  
  
SENDER: ShunsukeBangBang  
TEXT: Do you wanna sneak out?  
My roommate’s out of town.  
  
SENDER: ShunsukeBangBang  
TEXT: Wow, I know that kind of sounded sleezy.  
I’m sorry. I have no idea where that came from.  
  
SENDER: ShunsukeBangBang  
TEXT: Please, don’t take me for another horny alpha.  
I really just wanted to invite you over for a movie,  
maybe get to know you in a more comfortable environment.  
Y’know, since you’re so damn formal all the time.  
Gyahhhh……you’re not answering. I’m embarrassed.  
  
SENT COPY: A.Nitori.210  
TEXT: This is Ai’s roommate. He fell asleep.  
I’m going to do you a favor and delete your last five messages.  
Stop texting, he’s **never** going to touch your dick.


	6. It Never Was a Cramp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Rin's behavior gets out of control, he may be forced to honestly think about his relationship with Nitori and how things have changed. Expect bad thai food, wet dreams, and late night phone counseling for emotional support.

After deleting the last few messages off Ai’s cell phone, Rin shut it off, and softly set it aside.  
  
He really never meant to violate his roommate’s privacy by reading his text messages.  
  
He just couldn’t stand staring at that damn phone going off and off and off as Ai slept—especially after Ai had stopped the movie like five times to respond to the mystery texter when he _was_ awake.  
  
And that god damned baseball pervert senior didn’t deserve Nitori’s biology notes or his attention.  
  
 _Shunsuke. I’ll remember the name._

* * *

  
  
Ai had fallen asleep during the movie; Rin caved and let the pining omega put on an American superhero action film.  
  
 _After fucking up dinner, I owed it to the poor kid…_  
  
Rin ended up choosing a new restaurant in town that served Thai food. Thai take-out was common for Rin in Australia.  
  
Many of the students would stop by the little shop before heading home from practice. It was run by a small Thai family, the mother would sometimes pack Rin extra food.  
  
When Rin saw this new Thai restaurant, he was excited to show Ai.  
  
He didn’t expect for the food to make both Aiichirou and himself terribly ill.  
  
They both threw up the entire contents of there stomachs within ten minutes of leaving the restaurant.  
  
They ended up laying out on Rin’s bed, watching a Marvel movie, and waiting for their fragile stomachs to stop hurting.  
  
 _Great way to take care of your omega, Rin! Poison him with bad egg noodles and undercooked chicken. You make great decisions._  
  
 _Wait._  
  
 _He’s not **your** omega. He’s just your friend—who happens to be an omega._  
  
 _And he’s not your responsibility yet, anyways._  
  
 _Not ‘yet’. He’s just not._  
  
 _God damnit, Rin, get your shit togeth—_  
  
“Hmmmf…” Nitori had murmered softly, in his sleep. He shifted slightly from his original position—lying on his back besides Rin’s legs—so he was now curled up on his side.  
  
Every muscle in Rin’s body tensed. He could smell it. He could smell Ai.  
  
That scent, it was unmistakable. Rin could smell Ai’s heat.  
  
Before he knew he had moved, Rin found himself on top of Nitori—propped up on his arms and knees, staring down at the sleeping omega’s defensless body.  
  
Blinking once, then twice, then pushing himself off the bed with more self control than Rin knew he had—Rin began to collect himself.

 _What the hell? He took his medication today. He shouldn't be smelling like this! He shouldn’t be in heat. Oh…_  
  
Rin remembered telling Ai to take his pills…only twenty minutes before poisoning them both with bad take-out.  
  
The medication that kept Nitori from turning into a vulnerable, begging, boy-whore had been expelled from his body along with the cancerous Phad Thai noodles.  
  
“Mmmmnghhh…more….” Aiichirou softly moaned into their silent dorm room, hips gently grinding into the bed.  
  
Still on his side, Aiichirou’s right arm supported his head and his free hand groped absently at Rin’s sheets—clawing at something, at _someone_ , in his fantasies.   
  
 _Nitori is having his first heat…in my bed. This can’t be happening. I need to make him stop. I need to make him—_  
  
“Sen…pai” Ai whispered.  
  
 _mine_.  
  
Rin snapped.  
  
There was no thought, no emotion, no intention.  
  
There was just action.  
  
Rin’s shirt was off, so was Ai’s shorts—pulled to around his knees. Light purple briefs covered the modest, dampened bulge of Nitori’s heat.  
  
Rin’s Sano Elementary School T-shirt, which was borrowed by Ai, was now pushed up to his collarbones—exposing the milky, untouched skin of the younger boy’s torso.  
  
The rough yanks on Nitori’s clothes had awaken him. Still fogged with sleep, Nitori’s eyes strained to focus and his mind struggled to comprehend what was going on.  
  
Finally, Aiichirou’s eyes locked onto Rin’s. Rin's eyes were dark and dilated—almost completely black with predatory instinct. Nitori's eyes were wide, wet, pale blue pools of unspoken questions.  
  
Rin was, again, on top of Ai with his knees on either side of his slender legs.  
  
This time, however, Rin’s hands were pinning Ai’s arms over his head. They stayed that way for one long moment, just looking into eachother’s eyes.  
  
Suddenly, the alpha-induced autopilot stopped and Rin was conscious again.  
  
Rin felt like he was outside his body, looking in. It wasn’t him that stripped and pinned his sleeping roommate. It wasn’t him looking into the tearing, teal blues on Nitori’s innocent, confused face.  
  
“Rin.” Ai breathed his name with no suffix and no shame.  
  
There wasn’t fear in Nitori’s eyes—no, Rin could have handled fear. He could have handled hate, or disgust, or sadness.  
  
But there was only one emotion in the eyes of the omega under Rin: **want.**  
  
And Rin just couldn’t handle that.  
  
He couldn't trust himself with that.  
  
He swiftly pushed himself off the bunk, turned his back to Nitori, and walked towards their desks. Rin picked up the prescription bottle and tossed it toward his kouhai.  
  
“Take your fucking pill and go to sleep. I’ll be back in the morning.” Rin ordered coldly, knowing the omega had to obey.  
  
He quickly dressed, picked up his phone and his keys, then left.

* * *

  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Let’s go for a run.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Respond.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Respond, beta! God damn it!  
  
SENDER: RyugazakiFormosus  
TEXT: Rin-san. I must remind you of two things:  
One, wolf-ranked commands are only effective when executed in the verbal or behavioral fashions. A command from an alpha to his subordinate will engender no obedience when conveyed in a medium such as _instant messaging.  
_ Two, it’s 3am. Even if I _were_ to entertain the idea of meeting you for a jog, one of us would need to traverse the 48.208 kilometers between our current locations. No commercial trains run past 2am and neither of us have automobiles or legal driving licenses. I highly doubt you mean us to both run 24.104 kilometers in order for us to meet in the middle.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Cut the sass, Megane.  
I’m just not okay right now.  
  
SENDER: RyugazakiFormosus  
TEXT: Are you physically injured, Rin-san?!  
Are you in immediate danger?!  
Should I alert emergency medical responders?!  
—or call the authorities?!  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: No, no, no. Not like that!  
I’m fine. Well, like I’m not dying or anything.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Maybe I just really need someone to talk to? Shit. I just need  
someone who’s not going to judge me, or ignore me, or try to solve my problems _for_ me.  
  
SENDER: RyugazakiFormosus  
TEXT: I apologize for overreacting.  
This is about Aiichirou-san, am I correct?  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Yeah. I might have scared him a bit.  
I kind of scared myself a bit.  
God, Rei, I’m really fucking confused.  
  
SENDER: RyugazakiFormosus  
TEXT: Give me a call, you can tell me all about it over the phone.  
Go outside, wherever you are, and take a walk while we talk.  
The weather is moderate tonight and the constellation of Orion is quite prominent.  
  
SENDER: RyugazakiFormosus  
TEXT: I’m disclaiming that I’ll have little to no usable input  
as the practical relationships between alphas and omegas—  
as well as the intimate relationship between yourself and Aiichirou-san—  
are not within my knowledge.  
  
SENDER: RyugazakiFormosus  
TEXT: You can just talk it out and I’ll just listen, okay?  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: That sounds great, really.  
Kind of exactly what I need right now.  
Thanks. I’ll call you when I leave the dorm.  
  
SENDER: RyugazakiFormosus  
TEXT: Give me a moment to step out of the house, as well.  
Nagisa’s snoring will most likely interfere with the clarity of our conversation.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: He’s sleeping at your house?  
  
SENDER: RyugazakiFormosus  
TEXT: No, Rin-san. To be frank, against my better judgment,  
I will be working at the Hazuki family booth during the Squid Festival this weekend.  
I was therefore coerced into spending the night with Nagisa in his home—  
Nagisa also insisted that I cook breakfast for his family both this morning and the next.  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Lulz, he’s totally got you whipped.  
Ok, calling now.


	7. Carry Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By talking to Rei, Rin is able to admit to himself how he feels about Ai. However, he's still at a loss. What should he do about it? Does Ai feel the same way? Is spooning lame?

After walking through school for an hour, Rin decided to climb the fire escape of the science building.  
  
It was far too late to check himself out of campus without lying about an emergency, so Rin settled for the roof top garden.  
  
He laid there in the grass for another two hours—all with Rei on the other side of the phone.  
  
He was right; Orion was really easy to find.  
  
The weather was decent and the night was quiet. Flowers, vegetables, shrubs, and very small trees were alive in all corners of the roof.  
  
There was even a modest lawn area, where Rin decided to park himself.  
  
This would be a nice place to take a date. He thought.  
  
Rin tried to put into words what exactly he felt for his roommate, but he couldn’t.  
  
There—in that long moment of silence—Rin realized that he either really didn’t understand his own feelings or he was too ashamed to bring them to light.  
  
He had spent most of his post adolescence rebelling against the intimacies of wolf-culture.  
  
He looked down on alphas and pitied omegas.  
  
He wondered what it would have been like if Ai really was a beta—and if _he_ was a beta, too.  
  
Soon, his thoughts found their way into words.  
  
“…if we weren’t like this, me and Ai.” Rin spoke to his phone, “Maybe things would have been easier.”  
  
“Maybe we would have, like, _dated_. Hah, wow. That would be something… Maybe I would have taken him here?  
  
“These feelings shouldn’t have been forced on me…on both of us. Instead, one minute we’re just watching a movie and the next—I’m a belt buckle away from raping my best friend.”  
  
“And I’m not even sure these feelings are real.” Rin sighed, “Maybe we really don't want to _be_ together. It’s probably just biology—telling us we want to fuck each other.  
  
“And I’m pretty sure I wasn’t gay before all of this. I’m sure Ai wasn’t either, I mean the porn that he kept had girls on them. Some of them _only_ had girls on them.  
  
“I mean, I knew I’d have to pair up with an omega…eventually. I always thought it’d be some chick I’d meet five, ten years from now. I never thought about Ai like _that_ before.  
  
“I mean, yeah, I look at his body in _that_ way a lot—but it’s only ‘cus he looks so much like a fucking girl! It was only just about his legs, and his ass, and his face—I never thought I’d feel something for _him_.  
  
“Him: as a person. Wanting to be with him, or take care of him. Wanting to take him to Thai food because _I_ like Thai food and I want _him_ to like Thai food.  
  
“Or let him pick the fucking movie even though he _always_ picks the fucking movie—just…just because I want to see him happy.  
  
“And that’s the fucked up part, Rei. I get the biology: when omegas smell like they want to fuck then alphas will want to fuck, too. But I don’t think it’s just that, anymore.  
  
“God damn it; I don’t know what I’m doing, Megane! And Ai hasn’t been socialized with wolves, so he’s even more fucking lost. You’re so lucky you and Nagisa are betas. You got to take things slow; you got to decide for yourselves that you’re together.”  
  
Rin ended his rant, sighing to himself as he shifted his prone body further into the cold grass.  
  
“Your projection is incorrect, Rin san.” Rei said. It was the first time he had spoken in a long time.  
  
The sound of his steady breath being the only indicator that he was still on the line. For all Rin knew, he could have fallen asleep.  
  
“Nagisa pursued me. He decided he wanted me as his companion before I even knew him, personally. When we did make contact, I told him I wasn’t interested. But he continued to accost me.” He said  
  
“After a few days of consistent rejection, he began stalking me—literally following me through my commute to school, in between classes, and back home again—he showed up at my home and introduced himself to my parents as my mate.” Rei continued.  
  
“That sounds just like the little shit.” Rin chuckled and closed his eyes.  
  
“That's exactly the point I’m trying to explicate, Rin-san.” Rei’s voice was soft and certain.  
  
“Being a beta doesn’t change the fact that Nagisa’s personality is bold and strong. Our relationship was engendered by his strength and persistence. Those actions and sentiments are not dictated by his rank in wolf hierarchy.  
  
“It is commonplace for alphas to pursue omegas in this fashion, yes. However, we are neither. Biology would dictated that the beta would want for nothing with such fervency and pursue it with such dominance.  
  
“Nagisa’s standing as a beta wolf is in no way causal to his feelings for me, his personality, and his behavior.  
  
“In my most honest opinion, Rin-san, very little in the expanse of human action and emotion—even wolfborn—can be excused through biology.  
  
“Your hormones and Aiichirou-san’s pheromones caused you to become sexually excited. Your true feelings for Aiichirou-san prevented you from hurting him. It is also the reason you are so remorseful.” Rei finished  
  
A long moment went by, both boys knowing the depth of Rei’s words and reality of Rin’s newly unearthed feelings.  
  
“I—I think I get that.” Rin said softly.  
  
“I know…” he started, “that I’m sure that what I feel for Ai isn’t just ‘cus he’s an omega. I know it’s bigger than that, at least on my end. But, what’s really freaking me out is…”  
  
Rin found himself unable to finish, so Rei did it for him.  
  
“Weather your sentiment is shared by Aiichirou-san.”  
  
“Yeah.” Rin sighed.  
  
“There are few ways to elucidate the true feelings and intentions of Aiichirou-san…without asking him directly.” Rei spoke slowly, carefully, not wanting to push Rin into doing anything rash without proper forethought.  
  
“I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Rin said, honestly.  
  
“As of right now, it matters less on what route of action you will take.” Rei started, with his voice warm and proud.  
  
“You have accomplished the process of cleansing yourself of stress, guilt, and negative thoughts while successfully deducing your true feelings for Aiichirou! I find this conversation to have been both productive and—WHA!!!”  
  
Rei was interrupted with what sounded like white noise and another voice.  
  
“Who are you talking to Rei-chan? Why’d you leave me all alone? Are you cheating on me?!” Nagisa sounded far from the phone, but Rin knew that pitchy voice at an instant.  
  
“Hah, well you should clear that up before the Devil Child castrates you. Thanks for everything, Rei. You really helped. Really.” Rin said.  
  
It sounded like Rei was about to say goodbye as well before the call dropped.  
  
_Nagisa probably jumped on Rei,_ Rin inferred. _Megane probably let go the phone._  
  
Rin sighed, realizing he was still on the roof of the science building—four hours past midnight curfew.  
  
It would be morning soon, but Rin really needed to head back to the dorm.  
  
He figured that if Ai had taken his medication when Rin ordered him to, before leaving, it would be in full effect now.  
  
Contemplating what to do, he typed out a text message to Haruka.  
  
Rin was incredibly surprised when his phone blinked a minute later, as he had accepted that his message would either be ignored or answered in the morning by Makoto.  
  
He read the text, smiled, and pocketed his phone before walking back to Ai.

* * *

  
  
Rin tried to enter the room as quietly as possible. After a few breaths, Rin new that Ai had indeed taken his medication. By the way things smelled, he had also taken a shower and cleaned the room. Cold air blew through the open window.  
  
_Probably tried to air out the room, too._ Rin thought.  
  
No indication of Ai's heat remained.  
  
He changed out of his shoes and jacket and crept slowly to his bed. The motionless Nitori-sized lump under the covers indicated that his roommate had fallen asleep.  
  
He leaned over the bed, placing his palm on what he thought was Ai’s shoulder and gently shook.  
  
“Mmmf. Senpai? Are, mnf. Are you okay?! I’m so sorry about earlier, I should have—” Ai’s sleep-filled rambling was cut off.  
  
“Do you mind if I sleep here tonight? With you? Just sleep?” Rin asked, mentally prepared for however his kouhai would react.  
  
Aiichirou looked at Rin with a stare that was half sleep and half questions. Slowly, a small smile appeared on his face.  
  
Rin took this, as well as Ai’s motion to scoot closer to the wall as to make room, to mean that he didn’t mind sharing the bed tonight.  
  
He got into bed next to his roommate.  
  
_Warm_. Rin thought.  
  
He hadn’t realized how cold it was outside until he got into bed.  
  
After a moment of peace, Ai turned his body onto his left side, towards the wall with his back to Rin—while scooting closer to the older boy.  
  
As in by instinct, Rin also turned to fold with Ai. Their bodies laid flush against eachothers, with Rin’s left arm under scooped under Ai’s neck and his right arm on Ai’s hip.  
  
“I don’t know if this is what all alphas are suppose to do…but I’m happy it’s you, Senpai.” Ai said in a voice softer than the sound of Rin’s breath.  
  
No other words were spoken while they both succumbed to the heaviness in their eyes.  
  
There were still ten thousand things they needed to talk about in the morning. However, tonight, they were both happy to push that aside.

* * *

  
  
Extra Scene:  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: I want to be Ai’s alpha.  
I just don’t know where to start.  
  
SENDER: Mobile33892_NanaseHaruka  
TEXT: Do what makes you feel free.


	8. Running Uphill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things fall together after that night. Rin learns how to control himself while he and Ai fall into comfortable closeness. Everyone, including the two of them, assumed they're in a relationship. However--since their mating was never 'official', a new student tries to worm his way into Ai's life.

White sunlight spilled through the blinds.  
  
Rin lifted his head from the silver mess of hair on his arm to check his cell phone.  
  
 _10:55am, damn._ Rin read. _I woke up before the alarm.  
  
_ The warmth of the smaller boy in his arms was far more pleasant than the cold morning air that awaited him.  
  
He sniffed at the younger boy’s hair and noticed that he barely smelled like himself.  
  
He smelled like Rin.

He smelled like Rin, a lot.  
  
During the evening, he must have scent marked Nitori in his sleep.  
  
He must have had a sex dream or a nightmare, because he really laid it on thick.  
  
 _Damn—even if he showers twice, it’s still gonna smell like I fucked him…  
_  
Rin decided that it wasn’t a huge deal, it was the weekend and fewer students were around.  
  
 _Hell, the swim team probably thinks we’re a mated pair, anyways. It doesn't matter if the rest of the school gets the same idea, too._  
  
Rin wouldn’t admit how much he actually enjoyed that idea.  
  
He rocked forward, softly shaking Aiichirou from sleep.  
  
“I’m going for a run, want to come?”  
  
The only response Rin received was inaudible as his roommate buried his head further into the pillow, his thin pale limbs snaking tighter around Rin’s right arm.  
  
“Ai. Come on. I have to get up, let go.” Rin chuckled  
  
“Mmf. Fine.” Nitori said after lifting his face from the pillow.  
  
“You’re gonna miss this when they separate us.” He added as he let go of Rin’s arm, wiggled his ass a bit, then rolled over to lay on his stomach.  
  
Rin wondered who taught Ai to be cheeky.  
  
 _Nagisa._ Rin thought.  
  
Despite the teasing, Ai was right. Now that Ai presented as an omega, he would be moved to another room with a student of a similar wolf category by next year.  
  
Ai would be living with another docile omega, or even a wiry and fast talking beta.  
  
And Rin would be rooming with another alpha, or a beta—a _real_ beta.  
  
Either way, it was true: Rin should cherish the time they had together.  
  
He settled back into bed with his sweet smelling omega.  
  
 _His_.  
  
Rin liked that.

 

* * *

 

  
Three weeks had passed since that morning and very little had changed.  
  
Well, little things had been established—in a very unofficial way.  


* * *

  
  
Back to that morning, Rin had decided to catch a ride with Mikoshiba to Iwatobi with Nitori.  
  
He introduced Ai to his mother and also to his father’s grave, and spent the rest of the day with Haru’s pack at the squid festival.  
  
Everyone probably got the idea that they were a mated pair, with Nitori smelling the way he did.  
  
His mother insisted that she take a photo of ‘the two couples’ before going to the festival.  
  
With Rin being in such a good mood, Gou and Mikoshiba were allowed to continue their first date unsupervised while Rin took Ai to see his friends.  
  
Nagisa wouldn’t leave Ai alone, after smelling him. He kept making sex jokes and everything he said to Ai was littered with innuendo.  
  
All the while, poor Nitori had to defend his virginity with red ears.  
  
To play along with Nagisa for once in his life—and to embarrass Rei, Ai, and Makoto—Rin decided not to speak on the matter.  
  
Only saying that a real alpha doesn’t kiss and tell.  
  
The three of the aforementioned young men turned absolutely scarlet while Nagisa nearly fell over laughing.  
  
Even Haru believed that one. An hour later, he came over to Rin alone to give him tips on controlling his scent glands during sex.  
  
Rin had to awkwardly explain that nothing really happened, and he scented Ai on accident.  


* * *

  
  
  
At the end of the day, Rin almost threw another fit when Gou reminded him that the captain was spending the night in **his** bedroom. Ai was quick to pacify him, earning a complement from his mom.  
  
‘What a perfect omega my son had found! If only Gou could be like you and stop being so hot headed.’  
  
 _My omega._ Rin repeated in his head during the train ride home.  
  
Rin’s arm was tucked under Ai’s neck, his drooping head leaning onto Rin’s chest—asleep.  
  
When a young, female alpha boarded the train, he unknowingly curled Ai closer towards him with his arm.  
  
 _My omega._ He silently repeated, again.  


* * *

  
  
It was easy to let the time slip through their fingers.  
  
Swim, school, swim, school.  
  
The lives of high school athletes were pretty myopic.  
  
Some nights Rin and Ai would fall asleep together.  
  
Other times, they would go to bed at different times in their own bunks.  
  
Most of those times, the one who’d go to bed later would crawl into the other’s bed.  
  
People got used to Ai smelling like Rin. Just like how everyone kind of forgot what Makoto’s real scent was.  
  
Since the day of his first heat, he always smelled like a bit of Haruka.  
  
Rin decided that those were very different situations. Between himself and Haru—they were roommates, Mako and Haru weren’t.  
  
Rin convinced himself that Haru was just a controlling and possessive alpha who purposefully scented his boyfriend ever morning.  
  
Rin and Ai were roommates and just happened to sleep in the same bed a lot—y’know by chance.  
  
In the month after the Squid Festival, they’d probably slept separately only four times.  
  


* * *

  
  
  
This morning happened to be one of those times.  
  
The night before, Ai went to bed early because he was feeling sick.  
  
Rin fell asleep at his desk working on an assignment.  
  
The day went on as usual until lunch.  
  
A group of exchange students from the countryside were touring the school.  
  
A recent flood took out a few schools up north. Whole classes were relocated all across the city.  
  
Everyone who was male and either a highly competitive athlete or a wolfborn was sent to Samezuka.  
  
Supposedly, the swim team was to get a temporary add on—a second year backstroke from one of the flooded high schools.  
  
Rin paid little attention to it until he reached the cafeteria.  
  
He saw Ai standing by the tables the swim team usually gathers around during meals.  
  
There was a tall dark haired guy standing too close to him. By his uniform, he was an exchange student. By his scent, he was an alpha.  
  
By honing into Ai’s scent, he could smell the alpha next to him all the way across the room.  
  
What he gathered from his nose disturbed him: one, the guy smelled like an unmated, _single_ alpha and two, Ai must have forgot his medication again because he smelled like early heat.  
  
Rin could feel every muscle in his body flex as he walked closer to the two.  
  
With a closer view, Rin noticed his broad shoulders. The rolled up sleeves of his shirt made it seem like he had pretty defined biceps.  
  
They were standing less than a foot apart from eachother by the busy lunch tables, Ai talking enthusiastically to the taller man.  
  
 _They’re too close, too friendly_. Rin thought, as he walked as fast as he could while still looking casual.  
  
The alpha extended his hand to the back of Ai’s neck—a dominance gesture Rin had only let Mikoshiba and Haru ever enact on **his** omega.  
  
He then realized what the alpha was doing wasn’t just a dominance gesture. As his hand cupped the back of Ai’s neck, his thumb began to rub at the side of his throat.  
  
It was like he was trying to stimulate his scent glands—an incredibly intimate wolf gesture.  
  
Ai shied away from his hand, obviously feeling uncomfortable towards the inappropriate behavior of his new friend.  
  
Rin saw several of his teammates take notice of this, pinning their attentions to the stranger touching one of their own.  
  
Rin closed the distance and inserted himself between the two. Ai looked up half in shock and half grateful to see Rin there.  
  
Rin looked into the dark brown eyes of the offending alpha, they were nearly equal in height.  
  
“Move bitch.” Rin said to him eloquently, shoving his tray sideways at the alpha slightly as he climbed into the lunch table.  
  
“Ai, sit and eat.” He added, knowing Ai would have to end his conversation and sit down next to Rin.  
  
Members from the swim team were all eating at that table, there was only room left for Aiichirou.  
  
“I’m sorry, Tora-kun. We can talk more at swim practice.” Ai managed to whisper sheepishly at the new guy.  
  
Rin expected this ‘Tora-kun’ to get the hint and leave.  
  
He didn’t.  
  
Just as Ai said his goodbye and sat down with his lunch next to Rin, the alpha spoke again.  
  
“No, we were in the middle of a conversation.” He directed to Rin.  
  
“Get up, Aiichirou, we can talk more outside. Let’s go.” He said to Ai.  
  
He **commanded** Ai.  
  
Nitori jerked forward confusedly, being forced between two alpha’s contradicting wills made him internally panic.  
   
The swim team table, and eventually the cafeteria, went silent.  
  
Rin slowly stood up to face the man who tried to take his omega from him.  
  
The beta on the other side of Nitori took hold of the omega’s forearm, willing him to listen to Rin and stay seated.  
  
“What gives you the right to tell him what to do? Are you his alpha? Doesn’t smell like it. And even if you were—”  
  
As Tora taunted, Rin began to wind back his arm to deck the guy.  
  
Ai realized what was happening and jumped up from where his beta teammate was holding him.  
  
He launched himself at his senpai, latching himself to his arm and neck.  
  
“SENPAI!” he screamed—then in a whisper he added, “look behind you.”  
  
The new guy had stopped as well. Entering the cafeteria was Captain Mikoshiba, talking with two teachers. One was the athletics coordinator and the other was the exchange students’ liaison.  
  
Not willing to loose their place on the swim team, or at the school, both alphas willed themselves to cool down.  
  
Obata, a charismatic alpha from the swim team swung his arm around the dark haired outsider in a friendly gesture.  
  
It was probably only to pacify the situation and to prevent another confrontation from happening.  
  
If a fight broke out in front of those three, the entire swim team would face heavy negative repercussions.  
  
Obata looked like he was leading the heated new student away from the swim tables and away from Rin.  
  
“Yeah, you don’t flirt with Matsuoka’s girlfriend. Not in front of the swim team and especially not in front of Matsuoka, himself.” He heard Obata say as they exited the cafeteria.  
  
Rin sat down as the noise level returned to normal. The other members of the swim team were obviously relieved.  
  
He looked at his food, then to Ai. He was visibly shaken; the beta next to Ai placed his open palm onto his shoulder to try to help calm him.  
  
It takes a lot out of an omega to go against a beta’s orders.  
  
It physically hurts an omega to go against an alpha’s orders.  
  
He did both to protect Rin from being expelled.  
  
Rin’s heart hurt to see him like this.  
  
He stood up, pulling Ai with him. They abandoned their food as Rin walked Ai back to their room.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Extra Scene:  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Ai and I are going to be late to swim practice.  
  
SENDER: samezukaMIKOSEIxx  
TEXT: Does this have anything to do with what happened at lunch?  
I’ve been informed and I’m not exactly happy with your behavior.  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Yes.  
  
SENDER: samezukaMIKOSEIxx  
TEXT: You have an hour.  
The new student will also be at practice so I need you to control yourself.  
You’re one of our best swimmers, Rin;  
You’re responsible for setting a good example for the rest of the team.  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Thank you, Captain.  
I really appreciate it.  
  
SENDER: samezukaMIKOSEIxx  
TEXT: Call me Oniisan!  
Gou and I are getting pretty serious <3  
  
SENTCOPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: …


	9. Final Sprint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This scene contains a graphic depiction of rough sex as well as verbal abuse. You don't have to read this in order to understand the final chapter. There will be a PG13 synopsis included in the next chapter if you are uncomfortable reading this section.

The cloud of tension seemed to have followed Rin and Aiichirou from the cafeteria to the dorm room building.  
  
At first, he was concerned for his omega.  
  
Ai seemed pretty rattled after he narrowly prevented a fight that could have gotten Rin expelled.  
  
He wanted to gently scoop Ai into his arms and apologize for putting him in that position.  
  
However, now, Rin was feeling a little less gentle.  
  
All he could think about was Nitori, smiling and giggling for that guy…  
  
Nitori, openly flirting with that alpha…  
  
Nitori, letting another man touch him intimately…  
  
In front of the swim team…  
  
In front of Rin.  
  
He was livid.  
  
Rin knew that he was just projecting his anger. Nitori was being friendly to a new student and Rin understands that.  
  
 _It wasn’t Ai’s fault the douche bag got gutsy and tried to make a pass at him._  
  
Ai wouldn’t go for a guy like that. Ai was just being nice.  
  
 _But they were so standing close...  
  
_ Rin thought, again, filled with anger and suspicion. _  
  
He did stop me from hitting him. Was he trying to protect the guy? Did he like him?  
  
Did Ai really want to be touched by this Tora guy?  
  
_Whatever jealousy he was internalizing must have bubbled to the surface.  
  
When Rin finally looked at Ai as they continued to walk to their room, the latter had his head hanging low.  
  
His shoulders were stiff and his body language screamed submission.  
  
Ai looked frightened. This softened Rin for a moment, before thinking again—  
  
 _Maybe he is he just feeling guilty._  
  
Rin scoffed in disgust.  
  
He stomped up to their room, flung the door open and practically threw Ai in.  
  
He locked the door behind him as Ai took off his shoes and backed away from Rin.  
  
“Senpai…” Ai said, feeling his alpha’s rage. He stood by the beds and made himself as small as he could while still standing.  
  
“Senpai, tell me what’s wrong…” he continued, looking up at Rin with watering eyes.  
  
“ _’Senpai’_ ” Rin mocked “I heard you calling for ‘Senpai’ when you were in my bed during your first heat.”  
  
Rin’s voice dropped dangerously low as he slowly walked closer to Ai.  
  
“I thought you were calling for me.” He whispered, now standing over the cowering omega.  
  
“But you could have been calling for that senior in the baseball team. ‘Shun Senpai’, right?” He said as he leaned closer to Nitori, who looked up in confusion.  
  
“What? Senpai—Rin, no! I just gave him notes, I swear—” his eyes began to water as Rin interrupted his explanation.  
  
“What were you expecting in return, Ai? Did you think he’d come and just scoop you up—take you away?”  
  
Rin’s insecurities were boiling down to anger and he was taking it out on Ai.  
  
“Did you think your precious ‘Shunsuke Senpai’ would fuck you and make you his omega because you can do his homework for him?” Rin growled down onto Ai with intimidation.  
  
“Is that what you were fantasizing when you were in heat—ON MY BED. You fucking slut…” Rin couldn’t stop the words of hate spilling from his lips.  
  
“Rin, no!” Ai yelled as he sunk to the floor and grabbed onto Rin’s legs.  
  
“Senpai! Rin! It’s you, it’s **only** been you. It’s _always_ been you!” he cried.  
  
Rin kicked him off softly and Ai tumbled to the side of his bed.  
  
“Then what about today, huh?! Did you meet ‘Tora-kun’ and decide I wasn’t enough anymore?!” He was practically screaming  
  
Most of the team was still in the cafeteria, so noone would Rin him scream.  
  
And noone would hear Ai scream when it came down to it.  
  
“Did you feel your heat coming and decided you couldn’t wait for me?! So you went looking for any single alpha to fuck!!” Rin accused as he stood over Nitori.  
  
“No, Rin! It’s **you**! I’ve waited for **you**! I saved everything for **you**! And—and I know you don’t mean any of this! Please, Rin…” Ai was weeping openly now.  
  
Hearing such a sincere confession calmed some of the storm raging through Rin’s head.  
  
Some, but not all.  
  
He can remember what that Tora guy said:  
  
 _Ai didn’t smell like he belonged to him_.  
  
He didn’t scent mark Ai last night. That’s why this new guy thought he could step all over what was clearly Rin’s territory.  
  
He needed to fix that. He was going to scent mark Ai—and then some.  
  
Nitori Aiichirou would never again be mistaken as unbound, unmated, and available.  
  
“You saved yourself for me, Ai?” He asked as he kneeled down, next to Ai. “You really waited for me?”  
  
Ai could only return the gaze and give a small nod.  
  
Rin cupped his face in his hands, wiping away all the tears from Ai’s cheeks. For a moment, he forgets his rage.  
  
He leans into Ai’s mouth, letting their lips touch for only a second. He pulls away and rubs his thumb against Ai’s cheek.  
  
“That…that was my first kiss, Senpai.” Ai smiles and blushes while a stray tear falls to the floor.  
  
“I did…I did save it for you; I saved all my firsts for you. It had to be you…I waited for you, I did, Rin.  I’ll wait forever for you.” Ai curls in closer to his alpha, feeling safe in his arms once again.  
  
He believed his senpai’s fit of rage was finally over and they could be happy again.  
  
Ai was wrong.  
  
Rin’s testosterone flares up again as he breaths in Ai’s heat. His eyes go dark as he curls his fists around his omega’s shirt collar.  
  
“You won’t have to wait any longer.” Rin whispers before throwing Ai onto the lower bunk.  
  
All at once, Ai is flooded with the scent of Rin. His bed, the room, Ai smells Rin in everything and it makes him dizzy.  
  
Ai knows he’s going into heat as he shuffles backwards on the bed, away from Rin. He hits his back against the wall on one side and the bedpost on the other.  
  
He’s cornered and in heat, and there’s nothing left for the vulnerable omega to do but cling to the bars of the bunk bed and pray he can control himself.  
  
“I want all of you, Ai. And I’m taking it. Now.” He demanded, peeling off his shirt.  
  
Ai shuts his eyes as he hear Rin unbuckle his belt. He feels the pressure on the mattress when Rin gets into bed.  
  
“Please, Rin. Stay back… I—I’m in heat. I won’t be able to control what I do to you!” Nitori stutters.  
  
He opens his eyes as he hears Rin laugh.  
  
 _After all this—does Ai really think he might rape me? After all I said just now, everything I did, he really is scared he might hurt me?  
  
He's a fucking angel..._  
  
“No, Ai.” Rin wraps his hand around Ai’s dainty ankle.  
  
“You won’t be able to control what **I** do to **you**.” He pulls and Ai is immediately plucked from the bars of the bunk bed and on his back in the center of the bed.  
  
Rin is on top of him now, shirt off and on all fours like that night many many weeks ago.  
  
He stares down at his perfect omega, breathing in his scent.  
  
Nitori’s eyes are blown wide with lust, looking up at his alpha.  
  
“Rin…” he keens as the elder caresses his neck, lightly over his swollen scent glands.  
  
“Take off all your clothes.” Rin orders, still hovering over Ai as he strips himself hesitantly.  
  
He gets down to his briefs and looks up at Rin.  
  
“Are you sure you want this, Rin? I don’t want you to regret—” he’s interrupted by Rin’s mouth, hot and wet.  
  
This kiss is worlds apart from their first, only moments ago.  
  
This kiss was full of hunger and desperation—and tongue.  
  
Ai moans into his mouth as he feels Rin grind his jeans onto his erection, only covered by a thin layer of fabric.  
  
Rin’s harder than he’s ever been in his entire life and feels like he might blow his load into his jeans if they continue on like this.  
  
He decided he would have everything of Ai, tonight. He’ll take away all of Ai’s firsts so noone else could ever think to have a piece of Ai that wasn’t already Rin’s.  
  
Rin’s fingers slip under the waistband of his briefs, pulling it down to his ankles.  
  
He looked down at Ai’s perfect cock. It was hard, beading with precum. He looked lower to the omega’s untouched pussy, dripping wet with heat.  
  
“God damnit, Ai. You’re beautiful…” Rin said out loud.  
  
“Please, Rin…” Rin froze.  
  
He was ready for Ai to ask him to stop. He was ready to force himself off his roommate and walk to the dean’s office and ask to be expelled…  
  
“Please, Rin…” Ai whimpered again, “take me…now.”  
  
 _Fuck yes…_  
  
Rin wanted it. Rin wanted all of it. And Ai was going to let him take it.  
  
He had no idea how he got his pants off so fast, but Rin all but blinked and his hard cock was at the entrance of Ai’s virgin heat.  
  
Ai had spread his legs and wrapped his thighs around Rin’s naked hips. His feet hooked behind Rin’s back.  
  
Ai impatiently trying to pull Rin into him, but Rin was sturdy and grounded.  
  
“I think this will hurt, Ai.” Rin said as the clouds of pheromones and unresolved sexual tension cleared for a moment.  
  
He really didn’t want to hurt the younger boy. No matter how much he wanted to take Aiichirou, he knew he didn't deserve him.  
  
“No, Ai. We need to stop. I….I _love_ you." He finally put it into words what he knew for such a long time.  
  
"I can’t do this to you.” It pained Rin to say this, the alpha in him was painfully aching to sink into Ai’s body.  
  
Rin knew that sex with Ai would be one of the most pleasurable moments of his existence.  
  
He couldn't stand the idea of Ai looking back on the same experience with disgust or sadness.   
  
“It would kill me if you end up regretting this.” Rin tried to back away, unknowingly repeating the sentiment Nitori had tried to share.  
  
But Ai tightened the grip of his toned legs on Rin’s waist.  
  
“Rin.” Ai looked up at Rin with eyes filled with desire, then looked away—feigning innocence.  
  
“If you don't take it, now… what if someone else does?” he whispers.  
  
Ai knew what he wanted. He wanted Rin: his passion, his body, his cock.  
  
And the brat knew exactly how to manipulate his senpai into giving it to him.   
  
Aiichirou waited so patiently for Rin to grow comfortable with him, to love him.  
  
He risked his physical and emotional well being a countless times for his alpha.  
  
"If you wait... If you don't take me, now. What if another alpha forces me?" Ai looked up at Rin, with the most innocent look he could muster.  
  
With the way Rin behaved during his testosterone surge earlier, Ai felt no guilt in using his boyfriend's insecurities to his advantage—just this once.  
  
"What if you can't protect me and...someone else takes my virginity."  
  
A trigger flipped in Rin. Whatever conscience he tapped into before was thrust into the furthest corners of his mind.   
  
His eyes went dark and every muscle in his body flexed. He was an alpha, again.  
  
 _Hell no. It will be me. I'm going to be Ai's first. I'm going to be his only._  
  
He promised himself that he would protect Ai for every moment of the rest of his life. But first, he's going to fuck him into his mattress.  
  
Rin grabbed Ai by the hair and forced him to face him.  
  
He wanted to see the look in his omega's eyes when Rin violates his body for the first time.  
  
Rin steadily sunk his thick member into Ai’s waiting heat. He felt the ripping tightness sucking him it and it was mind blowing.  
  
Nitori’s eyes began to water as Rin drove further into him; the pain was unbearable.  
  
He held onto Rin’s neck and shut his eyes as the pain continued.  
  
“It hurts so much, Rin. It’s too big. Too much… Stop!” with that, Rin went completely still.  
  
“But, Ai. I haven’t even started knotting yet?” Rin teased.  
  
"If you think this hurts, you're never going to make it through the night."  
  
He looked at Ai through his his sweat ladened bangs, growling a deep predatory noise.  
  
Nitori turned to face his lover in apprehension. If it wasn't for the pain, Ai swears he could cum right with the look in Rin's eyes.  
  
After a few seconds of adjusting to the feeling of fullness, Nitori began to tug forward at Rin's hips.  
  
After Rin got the signal that Ai was ready, they locked eyes.  
  
Rin shot him a smirk, shoving the other half of his length into Ai—ridding him of his purity.  
  
Rin looked down to see the blood on his shaft, cruel proof that he was Ai’s first.  
  
Ai screamed, pulling Rin forward so their chests were touching.  
  
As Rin continued to fuck him, Ai wrapped his arms round Rin’s torso.  
  
His nails were starting to carve scars on Rin’s back.  
  
“God, Rin!” Ai cried, slowly discovering the pleasure under all the pain.  
  
“Yes, don’t stop! Rin, GOD!” he started whimpering like a true omega in heat.  
  
Growling deeply, Rin buried his face into Ai’s neck.  
  
Every snap of Rin’s hips brought them both closer to the edge.  
  
Rin didn’t want it to end yet.  
  
But he had no self-control left to stop or slow down.  
  
“Rin! Rin! Rin! Oh! I…love…love…you…” Ai whispered between every thrusts.  
  
Hearing this pushed Rin past the tipping point.  
  
He wrapped his mouth around Ai’s shoulder to keep himself from crying out as he begins to unload into his omega.  
  
Nitori is still praying his name in the background.  
  
The metallic taste of blood fills his mouth as he realized he had broken skin, marked him.  
  
He decided to ignore it, in favor of the white, hot light of orgasm consuming him.  
  
By the time he came down from ecstasy, he realized he was knotted in Ai.  
  
He moved himself a little and ripped a shrill cry of pleasure from Nitori.  
  
His knot was rubbing on _the_ spot.  
  
With his knot pressing on the gem of live nerves inside Ai’s body, it only took a few strokes to turn the younger boy into a twitching, crying mess—ropes of the omega’s cum coating them both.  
  
Rin gently repositioned them, so he was on the on his back with Ai lying on top of him.  
  
The stickiness of cum and sweat wasn’t too unpleasant as they held eachother, waiting for Rin’s knott to go down.  
  
“Everything.” Ai muttered, “Now everything of mine is yours, Senpai. So promise you’ll never act like that again.”  
  
“Everything? Well we haven’t done everything, just yet. I have a checklist, Ai. So many different positions, so many ways to do you...”  
  
Rin teased, earning a blush from Nitori.  
  
“We’ll have to fuck every night for five years to have done _everything_. Maybe then, I’ll start behaving.” He chuckled.  
  
Thank god Ai decided to have an annual that birth control injection; he would probably have taken birth control pills like as haphazardly as he took his heat suppressants.  
  
With that in mind, all of a sudden, Rin was hit with the levity of what had happened.  
  
Ai, once again, had gone out of his comfort zone to prevent Rin from making a total tit of himself.  
  
He could have gotten expelled if Ai didn't force his way out of the submission.  
  
And to repay him, he accused Ai of terrible things and physically hurt him.   
  
Thats not the foreplay Rin wanted to remember for their first time...  
  
“But, really. Oh, god, Ai. I’m so sorry for treating you that way. I have no idea what came over me. I was so jealous and insecure and I hurt you—” Rin’s lips were halted by Ai’s.  
  
“I forgive you, Rin.” He said breaking the kiss, “I wanted this, all of this. It doesn't matter how it happened, I'm just happy that it did. I love you.”  
  
This is when Rin realized he was crying, fat tears already rolling off his cheeks.  
  
He was so in love with Ai, who was so beautiful inside and out. And for some reason, he loved Rin back.  
  
He did not deserve this boy, this angel. Despite knowing this, Rin Matsuoka would never let another living soul have his piece of heaven.    
  
They both laid there the next twenty minutes, still connected by the knott.  
  
Rin’s scent wafted over Ai as he marked him. The comforting scent of the man that he loved sent Ai peacefully to sleep.

* * *

  
  
Extra Scene:  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Yo, do you still work at the student health office?  
  
SENDER: tsuchura_ando  
TEXT: Yeah, why?

SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: I need waterproof bandages  
  
SENDER: tsuchura_ando  
TEXT: Sure, I’ll stop by before swim practice.  
What happened? Get into a fight?  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Uhh, I was attacked by a cat.  
It scratched up my back.  
And it bit Ai on the shoulder, too.  
  
SENDER: tsuchura_ando  
TEXT: Eww, you guys had sex…  
  
SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
TEXT: Whatever, dude. Just bring the bandages.


	10. Finish Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No more rushing. No more stopping. Things will eventually turn out fine--if you just keep pace.

_We mated._ Rin thought to himself.  
  
He couldn’t believe how it happened.  
  
Honestly, a part of him wanted them to be a mated pair long before this night.   
  
Ever since Haru’s text and the night talking to Rei on the roof, he was sure he wanted Ai to be his boyfriend.  
  
The thing was—he couldn’t think of five good reasons Ai would reciprocate these feelings.

Ai was a virgin, male omega. That was about as rare as they came.

Haru took Makoto the nigh he presented, maybe even before that.  
  
There were omegas like Ai auctioning off their virginities for millions of yen.

Yet, Ai saved himself this long and gave it all away…for Rin.

Hearing the shower on full blast, Rin sighed again into the sex-scented sheets once again.

 _I must have been a saint in my past life_ , Rin thought, _to have gotten this lucky_.

It wasn’t even Ai’s novelty that made this _relationship_ so mind-boggling.

Rin has done nothing but think of himself his entire time at Samezuka. Once Ai presented Rin has been nothing but pushy, manipulative, and overzealous.

If he really thought about it, he tried to rape him twice…

And he almost got himself expelled today…

And the foreplay to their first time was a load of shit and unwarranted criticism spurn on by jealousy and insecurities…

 _I must be coming back as a snail in my next life,_ thought Rin as the door opened.  
  
Ai was in his warm-ups, a reminder that they still had swim practice.  
  
“Ando’s not here with the med-kit, yet?” he asked, skin still pink from the hot shower

“Not yet” mumbled Rin

“Ai, listen” as he started to speak, Nitori came to sit by his legs on the bed.  
  
“—no, don’t come closer…” warned Rin “I won’t be able to say it if you’re too close”  
  
Confused, Ai backed away.

“I think this was a mistake” as the words fell from his lips, he saw Nitori’s expression turn to panic and immediately regretted it

“No! It’s not that I didn’t… _like_..it. Yeah, no! Holy shit, Ai. Oh my god! Dude, I could live to be 400 years old on just the memory of it… It was…oh my god.” Rin carded a hand though his hair, and chuckled nervously.

He saw Ai blush a bit, relaxing slightly.

“I mean. I don’t think I’ve been very good to you. I know—“ he started

“You haven’t.” Ai interrupted, his face as deadpanned as Haruka on any good day.

This response caught Rin off guard.

“Wait…what? Um yeah…I guess I’ve been kind of a dick…” Rin had no idea what to think or say.

To be honest, he thought he would try to break up with Nitori for his own good then Ai would cry and beg for Rin not to, all the while reaffirming that he was the greatest alpha that hero-worship could make.

“You’re temper isn’t from being an alpha. You can’t blame your violent or jealous nature on your wolf class. It’s just you, not your testosterone surges. That’s just who you are.” Ai continued

“When things don’t go your way, you get ugly really fast. This is my first year of knowing you, and I’ve already saved you from getting expelled six times. And even when I try to help, you still lash out at me. Some of the things you said to me really hurt.” He said, obviously directing that last line on all the horrid accusations Rin spit out earlier.

Rin wanted to crawl under a rock. His heart hurt with every word Ai spoke and he knew it was all too true.

“So…why…tonight. You—” was all Rin could choke out for fear of his voice cracking.

 _No, I am not going to cry_ …. Rin thought, his throat already stinging with the coming of tears.

“Because I believe in you” Ai said, smiling just a little.

“I know you could be so much better if you had incentive. You’re so strong and so passionate. I believe you could get to the places you want to go if you just had a little help.” The usual full-sounding awe returned to Aiichirou’s voice. 

“And you…” Rin started

“I’ll be your help…your guidance…your assistance…the incentive to keep your temper down and your spirits high. Honestly, you would have either gotten kicked out of the competitive circuit in Japan or quit due to pride if it wasn’t for me.” He said, as he raised his hand to Rin’s knee while scooting closer.

Rin welcomed the closeness.

“Although the timing was…unfortunate.” Ai started “I wanted you from the very beginning. I’m actually quite relieved to see you wanted it, too. And don’t think you forced me into anything because you’re an alpha and I was in heat. I know how to control myself and I know how to refuse wolf commands. You’ve seen me do it.”

Rin was blind sided by the memories of his omega showing competence and strength, a control Rin himself had lacked…

“And I thought you were an omega…” he teased, feeling the blood return to his face.

“I am. That's why I’m doing this.” Ai said, “That…and I love you.”

He rested his head on Rin, who pulled him in tight with both arms.

“Ai, I will never act like that again. And sex, next time it’ll be done right. There’ll be candles and romance and I’ll take you out stargazing…” he whispered into Nitori’s hair.

 

* * *

 

 

They had to quickly put their clothes back on, as Ando was impatiently waiting behind their dorm door.

 _Next time_ , Rin promised himself and he slipped his sweat pants up, _there’ll be candles and romance and stars and shit…_

Ai opened the door for Ando, then zipped passed him to shower the sex off his skin…for the second time that night.

“God damn, it smells in here!” joked Ando, as he set the med pack down onto Rin’s desk.

“Yeah, yeah, just hurry up. We’re late for practice…” Rin inwardly thanked Ando for being such a decent guy.

 

* * *

 

  
  
“I had a surge… I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.” Rin said nervously, bowing his head to his Captain.  
  
Rin swears he could still smell sex off Nitori, even after he practically scrubbed his skin off in the shower.  
  
After Ando came to the room and awkwardly bandaged Rin’s scratches; they realized there wasn’t much to be done to Ai. There were too many bite marks—had they tried to dress each wound, the omega’s entire torso would be wrapped up.  
  
Ando just cleaned the wounded areas, shot him with a fast-acting heat suppressant, and handed him a drag shirt.

He said he would wear one to practice as well. He’ll tell captain that some the endurance swimmers were going to be resistance training to make sure Ai doesn’t stick out.  
  
 _I owe you, man._ Rin thought.  
  
“I know. Living with an omega class always makes alphas more testy” laughed Mikoshiba, “things’ll get easier next year when you switch rooms.”

Rin grew a little down cast at that remark.  
  
“Put a drag suit on, apparently we’re resistance training!” Seijurou winked, obviously aware of Ando’s scheme.  
  
They walked out of the lockers towards the pool.  
  
People were already in the water. Ando and Ai was still stretching. They _had_ arrived an hour late.  
  
For the remainder of practice, the only tension seemed to lay between Rin and the new guy. Lucky for them both, the captain refused to let anything escalate beyond a scowling contest.  
 

* * *

 

  
  
Just as Rin and Ai began exploring the full expanse of their relationship, the semester ended and they were forced to move to new rooms.  
  
The former captain allowed Rin to move in with Sousuke, his childhood friend who presented as an alpha right before Rin switched grade schools.  
  
Seijurou attended a swimming powerhouse university a few hours away. Five hours away by car. Despite the distance, Rin still had to put up with him every time he went home on holiday (due to Gou’s relationship) or during competitions (due to his brother’s presence on the team).  
  
Rin never liked the idea of Ai rooming with the former captain’s brother.  
  
The beta seemed to tire out Ai quite a bit.   
  
However, it did do Ai well to have someone around that looked up to him.  
  
Despite being of a higher wolf-class, Momo seemed to always be in awe of Aiichirou—whether it be his study habits, his concentration, his dedication, or the fact that he could hold real conversations with Gou without shitting himself.  
  
Having Sousuke around helped, too.

Sousuke’s long-term shoulder injury prevented him from every competing on the world’s stage. All his energies now lay with helping others do what he couldn’t.  
  
It started with coaching Ai, then Momo, then eventually half of the team in conditioning and physical training.   
  
Somewhere during the semester, Ai convinced him to apply to a few schools that offered pre-PT degrees.   


 

* * *

 

  
  
“You know, you have to respect me. I’m a doctor, too.” Sousuke grinned, lightly knocking Rei sideways on the bench.  
  
“Although we have both achieved some sort of terminal doctoral degree, I do not believe that they are equal in the eyes of an academic. You have an _occupational_ doctorate from an _America_ post-baccalaureate program. I received a doctorate in scientific research from a Japanese graduate institution. My SciD is as equivalent to a PhD in America, which is clearly superior to your DP—” Rei was interrupted by Sousuke’s chuckling

“Okay, fine, you’re dick is bigger. Go check if Momo’s awake yet.” Rei rolled his eyes as he walked off from the hallway to the waiting room. 

Sousuke went to a junior college to take pre-physical therapy classes while working at his father’s business. He slowly picked up English then went abroad for two years, coming back with an American degree and Japanese license to train and rehabilitate competitive athletes.

Rei went all the way through school. Picked up a doctorate in experimental biophysics on top of a degree in biochemistry. He worked for several pharmaceutical companies before settling down and opening up his own research lab.

He was now living with Nagisa in Kichijouji. Nagisa became a highly celebrated interior designer after a long an bumpy road of many different careers in vastly different fields.

 

* * *

 

 

“Its amazing that you’re here for this” said Rin, walking from the other side of the hallway to Sousuke, two cups of coffee in his hands.  
  
“If she were a day early, you’d still be on the plane. Two days and I still would’ve been in the States” He continued.  
  
“I’m glad that things worked out.” He sighed as he took one of the coffees from Rin.

“I heard Nagisa drove her here in a stolen car.” Sosuke started

“Nah, it’s just Momo was the only one around with a car. But he was so anxious that he couldn’t steer properly.” Rin said  
  
“Yeah, Rei said he was freaking out.” He continued

“Nagisa had to slap him in the face to calm down. Stuck him in the back seat with Gou and just drove the car himself with Rei directing him to the hospital.” Rin laughed

“It wasn’t a stolen car, but even if it was…it wouldn’t be the first time Nagisa broke the law to drive Gou somewhere.” Added Nitori, coming up behind Rin and hugging his waist

“Momo is conscious now, Rei and Nagisa are with him. It would be a shame if he missed the birth of his first niece.” He added

“Kou went into labor and _Momo_ fainted.” said Sousuke.

The elevator around the corner dinged and two sets of rushed footsteps were heard from the hallway.

“Did it happen? Did we miss anything. Is Kou-chan alright? Sousuke-kun said Nagisa stole a car!” Makoto said, still rushing, pulling his alpha by the hand.

“Yep, he totally stole a car and we have to bail him out after this.” Sousuke joked, Ai shaking his head in response

“He’s in the waiting room with Rei, Momo fainted but he’s alright. Seijurrou and Mom are in the delivery room. We’re just happy you guys made it!” Ai said  
  
“What took you two so long. Waiting for the kid’s first birthday?” Rin laughed

“Haru had to close the shop, pick up me up from work, then pick up take Adai and Shichirou from school then take them to Ran’s dorm! I’m just glad we made it before the baby!” Makoto chirped.

Haru nodded a silent greeting to the other two alphas in the hallway, which was reciprocated.

After winning a gold medal for Japan, Haru retired and used some of his commercial money to start up a small bakery in Iwatobi. Its popularity grew and grew, until it became a very succesful franchised restaurant.

Haru gave the original store, Splash!Pastry, to Ren, who ended up presenting as a Beta like his sister.

The older couple moved to Yokohama so Makoto could take a position teaching at Jochi University.

Haru now owns and operates the biggest store of the entire franchise, Splash!Cuisine. Between that and having two kids, Mako and Haru have been quite busy lately.

Gou became a nutritionist and health consultant. Seijurou became a swim team recruiter, working for the university sircuit that fed the Japanese National swim team.

They lived surprisingly close to Momo’s apartment. Momo stated working at a local high school as a biology teacher, promising to keep all the bugs and snakes at in their terrariums at work.

Which was good, since Sousuke is set to move into his spare bedroom after returning from studying abroad. The alpha would not tolerate being chased down by a muddy toad.

Nagisa popped his golden head from the waiting room.

“Mako-chan, Haru-chan! You’re here! Hurry, Sei-chan said we can come in soon!” he said.

As everyone filled out of the hallway, Rin took a moment to hold Ai tightly and inhaling deeply.

After Rin left for Australia, Ai finished his senior year as Samezuka’s swim team captain. He was accepted to Rin’s university and double majored in math and kinesiology.

He became Rin’s team’s data analyst, and eventually Rin’s personal manager.

He got him to the Olympics four years earlier than Haru, winning gold.

While Rin still retains sponsors to swim competitively, he’s semi-retired now that Aiichirou secured a position as a financial officer at a large investment firm.

Rin still has temper tantrums and Ai still does a spectacular job at calming him down. Rin promised Ai that this year would be big for them…

Ai think they’re getting a cat.

 

* * *

 

 

  
Extra Scene

SENDER: SYamazaki231  
TEXT: Dude, I got your mail. This hasn’t happened since high school, what’s up?

SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
 TEXT: I couldn’t send it to our address, just keep it and I’ll pick it up tomorrow.

  
SENDER: SaiichiAcadamy_MikoshibaMomotarou  
TEXT: OMG THIS IS A RECIEPT FOR A WEDDING RING!!!!!

SENT COPY: MatsuokaRin22  
 TEXT: Wtf, Sou…

SENDER: SYamazaki  
TEXT: Sorry, I couldn’t stop him. He recognized the print as a jewelry store and read your mail.

SENDER: SaiichiAcadamy_MikoshibaMomotarou  
TEXT: ARE YOU AND SENPAI GETTING ENGAGED??!

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> I apologize about the huge updating gap.
> 
> I have good reason:  
> I just got accepted into grad school!
> 
> Yay<3
> 
> I'm going to start on a MakoHaru version of this, their side of the same universe.
> 
> Send me ideas!
> 
> Thanks again for your support!


End file.
